Extension table



y 9 E. C. GROVES ZQEQASZ EXTENS ION TABLE Original Filed June 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 INVENTOR WITNESSE w MW W, V 47 I ATTQRN EYS E. C. GROVES EXTENSION TABLE May 5, 1936.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 6, 1 934 [Wm/WM INVENTOR E C. Graves,

AfioRNEYs Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 6, 1934, Serial No. 729,312 Renewed October 4, 1935 6 Claims.

This invention relates to extension tables.

An object of the invention is the provision of a table having a plurality of hingedly connected leaves cooperating with extensible legs to provide tops of varying sizes while providing a smooth surface for the tops.

An object of the invention is the provision of an extension table having a plurality of hinged leaves with certain of the leaves foldable upon each other in flat contact upon the main body of the table and with one of the leaves extended and supported by a gate leg at a height above the top of the leg to provide a uniform and unbroken surface for a table top.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an extension table having a plurality of hinged leaves adapted to be projected in opposite directions from the central portion of the main body of the table, means being provided for folding certain of the leaves upon each other upon the main body of the table and for supporting the remaining leaf in a horizontal plane be yond the main body, the gate legs being provided at each side of the main portion of the table with extensible means upon the gate leg so that the hingedly connected leaves may be extended their fullest length and be properly supported by the extensible means upon the gate leg.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a table constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of a table showing an extension of the leaves to a limited extent,

Figure 3 is a similar end elevation to that shown in Fig. 2 showing the complete extension of the table,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of a corner of the table,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 55 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

I designates a central body section of the table which is provided with four legs II, a rigid top member I2, a bottom wall I3, end walls I4 and I5, and side walls I6 and H.

The elements just defined in connection with a transverse partition I8 provides a chamber I9 closed by a door hinged at 2I to one end Wall 10 I4. A chamber is also provided at the opposite end of the table in which drawers 26 and 21 are slidably mounted having closure faces respectively 28 and 29.

At each side of the main body III of the table is 15 provided a gate leg, generally designated by the numeral 30. As shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and '7, tapered pins 3I and 32 are provided with a base member 33 secured in position by attaching means such as screws 34. It will be noted that the base members 33 are located within countersunk pockets formed in a bar 35 which is secured to the inner ends of bars 36 and 31. The outer ends of these bars are secured to the gate leg in any approved manner. By this construction the gate leg is hinged upon the pins 3| and 32 and adapted to be swung outwardly at substantially a right angle to the side walls I6 or H of the main body portion of the table. The pin 3| is seated within a socket formed in the underface of the table top I2. The pin 32 is seated within a socket formed in a brace bar IZa which is connected in any approved manner to the bottom portion I3, as shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7. It will be noted that the brace member I2a projects beyond the opposite side walls I6 and H.

A lug 40 pivotally mounted at M on the side of the bar 36 is provided with a fiat portion 42 adapted to engage the underface of a leaf 43. 40 The opposite edge of the leg, as shown at 44, is fiat and is adapted to engage the top of the gate leg 30.

This lug 40 may be moved to an inoperative position when it is swung upon its pivot 4| so that 45 the edge 45 of this lug will engage one vertical face of the leg 39 and be maintained in an inoperative position with the edge 44 of said lug being substantially in the same horizontal plane as the top of the bar 36.

An extension bar 50 is slidably mounted on the bar 36. The bar 36 has a dovetail 5| received in a complementarily formed groove 52 on the inner face of the extension or sliding bar 52 so that the bar 50 may be moved outwardly of the 55 bar 36 and support the leaf 43 in the extended position shown in Fig. 3.

A rod 55 is pivotally mounted at 58 on the side wall I! of the main body portion ofthe table and is extended outwardly and provided with a finger 51 adapted to engage within a keeper 58 secured to the sliding bar 50. Thus it will be seen that when the extension leg 38 is moved to its outward position and the bar 56 has been shifted to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the finger 58 has been engaged by the keeper 51', not only the bar 50 will be maintained in its out ward position but the gate leg 30 will likewise be maintained in its outward extended position.

A pair of leaves 68 and BI are hingedly connected together at 62. The leaf 69 has its outer edge hingedly connected at 63 with the leaf 43. The leaf 6| has its outer edge pivotally connected at 64 with the outer edge of the table top l2.

It will be noted that a similar combination of hinged leaves are located upon opposite sides of a medial line passing longitudinally of the table I0. There is also a similar construction of leg extension shown at each side of the table so that a description of one section will be sufiicient to explain the construction at the other side.

The operation of my device is as follows: The table shown in Fig. 1 is folded into a small compact table and with certain of the leaves folded upon each other and upon the main top l2 while the leaves 43 are disposed in overhanging relation with the side walls of the main body portion.

If it be desired to extend the table to a limited extent, the leaves 43 are raised and the gate legs are moved outwardly to a substantially right angular position with respect to the side walls of the main body portion, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. The leaves 43 are then lowered after the lugs 40 have been moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 from their inoperative positions in flat contact with the bars 36. It will be noted that the height of the lugs 40 is such that they will retain the leaves 43 in substantially the same plane with the leaves 60. In this position the leaves 60 and 6| are folded upon each other upon the rigid top l2 of the table.

If it be desired to extend the table further than that shown in Fig. 2, it is only necessary to return the lugs 40 to their inoperative positions whence the sliding bars 50 may be moved outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the leaves placed in fiat contact with the bars 36 and 50. In this position the hingedly connected leaves 60 and BI are moved outwardly from the main body of the table until the leaves 60 and BI and 43 at each side of the table are in substantially the same horizontal plane with the top l2 of the table.

It will be seen by this construction that the table may assume three conditions; that shown in Fig. 1 as a small table; that shown in Fig. 2 as an extension table; that shown in Fig. 3 in which the full extension is had.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the pivot pin 32 is offset with respect to a vertical plane passing through the vertical axis of the upper pivot pin 3| and parallel to a side edge of the table, but the pivot pin is also offset towards the inoperative position of said gate leg and with respect to a vertical plane passing through the vertical axis of said upper pivot and perpendicular to said side edge of the table so that when the gate leg is moved from an operative leaf-supporting position at right angles to the side edge of the table to an inoperative position which is substantially parallel to the side edge, the bottom of the gate leg will be progressively raised off the floor until it reaches a maximum height at approximately an angle of 45. Further movement of the leg beyond this point will cause the leg to move downwardly towards the floor and it will come to rest on the floor when the leg has reached a substantially parallel position with respect to the side of the table. When the leg is moved from the inoperative position to the operative position at approximately an angle of to the side wall of the table the bottom of the leg will move upwardly as the leg is moved outwardly from the table until it has reached an approximate angle of 45 where the bottom of the table leg will have been raised to the maximum height from the fioor. Continued outward movement of the leg will cause a descending movement of the leg until it has reached an angle of 90 to the side wall of the table where the bottom leg will be again placed upon the floor. This construction provides for the raising of the bottom of the table leg off the floor when being moved from its inoperative position to its operative position and vice versa so that the table leg will not scrape over the floor.

I claim:

1. An extension table comprising a main body portion, a leaf hingedly connected along each longitudinal edge of the top of the table, a second leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the firstmentioned leaves, a third leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the second-mentioned leaves, a gate leg swingably connected to each side wall of the body portion and having an extensible member movable outwardly of the gate leg and co-operating with said leg for supporting the three leaves in the same horizontal plane with the top of the table.

2. An extension table comprising a main body portion, a leaf hingedly connected along each longitudinal edge of the top of the table, a second leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the firstmentioned leaves, a third leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the second mentioned leaves, a gate leg swingably connected to each side wall of the body portion, the first and second leaves being foldable on each other and supported by the table top, a lug pivotally connected with the gate leg and having its upper edge projecting above the upper edge of the gate leg for supporting the third leaf in the same horizontal plane as the second leaf in its folded position on the first leaf.

3. An extension table comprising a main body portion, a leaf hingedly connected along each longitudinal edge of the top of the table, a second leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the firstmentioned leaves, a third leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the second-mentioned leaves, a gate leg swingably connected to each side wall of the body portion, the first and second leaves being foldable on each other and supported by the table top, a lug pivotally connected with the gate leg and having its upper edge projecting above the upper edge of the gate leg for supporting the third leaf in the same horizontal plane as the second leaf in its folded position on the first leaf, said lug being movable to an inoperative position, an extensible member projectible from the gate leg and adapted in cooperation with said leg for supporting all of the leaves in a horizontal plane passing through the table top.

4. An extension table comprising a main body portion, a leaf hingedly connected along each longitudinal edge of the top of the table, a second leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the firstmentioned leaves, a third leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the second-mentioned leaves, a gate leg swingably connected to each side wall of the body portion and having an extensible member movable outwardly of the gate leg and co-operating with said leg for supporting the three leaves in the same horizontal plane with the top of the table, and means for retaining the extensible member in projected position and the gate leg extended.

5. An extension table comprising a main body portion, a leaf hingedly connected along each longitudinal edge of the top of the table, a second leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the firstmentioned leaves, a third leaf hingedly connected along one edge to the free longitudinal edge of each of the second-mentioned leaves, a gate leg swingably connected to each side wall of the body portion, a bar slidably mounted on the upper end of the gate leg and adapted to be projected outwardly of said leg for supporting in co-operation with the gate leg the three leaves in a horizontal plane passing through the table top.

6. An extension table comprising a main body portion, a leaf hingedly connected along I one edge to each side edge of the table top, a gate leg at each side of the table, the gate leg including a frame, means for pivotally connecting the upper inner end of the frame to the table, means for pivotally connecting the lower inner end of the frame to the table, the lower pivot means being ofiset not only with respect to a vertical plane passing through the vertical axis of the upper pivot and parallel to a side edge of a table but also towards the inoperative position of said gate leg and with respect to a vertical plane passing through the vertical axis of said upper pivot and perpendicular to the said side edge of the table, so that when the gate leg is moved from an operative leaf-supporting position to said inoperative position, the bottom of the gate leg will be raised oil the floor until it arrives at the inoperative position when it will again engage the floor.

EARL C. GROVES. 

